Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-13
LIKE THE FALL OF MAMMA.
The Shower of Quails for the RIOr-
mons, and ITS Probable
Explanation.


The Shower of QuaiIs for the Nor
mons, and Its Probable
Explanation.
The stories about quail which are
coming from Nevada have suggested to
an old settler here an explanation of a
phenomenon which has all along been
cited as an evidence of the favor in which
the Mormons who made the journey
across the plains with Brigham were
held by the Almighty. The Mormon
teachers maintain that the experience
of the faithful on that we'll known pill
grimage was more marvellous than a~v-
thing that occurred to the children of
Israel when they wandered in the will
derness under the leadership of Moses.
By Christians it is generally admitted
that the Israelites were under the
guidance of the Lord; that they were fed
from Heaven; that water gushed from
the rock to satisfy their thirst, and that
but for superhuman assistance they never
would have passed safely into the prom
ised land. Yet the Israelites were 40 years
in crossing a wilderness not So extensive
and certainly not more dangerous than
the wilderness which the Mormons
crossed in few months. To all Nor
mons in this vicinity the story of their
forefathers' pilgrimage is as attractive as
the Mosaic hegira was to the ancient
Hebrews, it is regarded by all of them
as a more certain illustration of Gods
favor, and by many of them the miracles
which are said to have been performed
for the benefit OF Brigham's followers are
looked upon as more wonderful than any
thing that took place in the days of Moses.
The only one OF these supernatural stories
to which it is now necessary to refer is
that which relates how the Brighamites
were fed when starvation seemed to be
staring them in the face.
81 have investigated that story" the
Suns informant observed, "and l am
bound to believe that some such incident
actually occurred. You cannot question
the evidence of a score of men and
women who, whatever their peculiarities
may have been, were not known as liars. |
Their word wrs good. Some of them /
were not polygamists. According to the |!
narrative, as got it, the Mormon cara
van had fun out of meat of every
description, and though there was still |
some food on hand, it was seen that I'M /
less a more fruitful country was soon |
reached all must perish of hunger. The /
wilderness yielded absolutely nothing. /
There was no game. The water was I'M
fit to drink. Hostile Indians swarmed /
on all sides of them, and as day followed .
dBy and the prospect became blacker and
blacker, it was decided that on certain
day the caravan should halt and pray to
Almighty God for relief.
"When that day dawned the wagons
and horses were left as they had been
placed the night before in a circle, and
the pilgrims assembled in the central
space and prayed fervently, both pub
licly and in silence, for deliverance. Not
a morsel of food passed the mouth of any
person, and from what l can learn
more solemn fast and supplication never
occurred in this world. For six or seven
hours the services lasted. The sky had
been cloudless during the forenoon, and
in the afternoon only a few white flakes
stood in the broad expanse of the blue.
Soon after O'Clock breeze sprang up,
which gradually increased to gale, and
a little later the watchers, who hailed
the first change in the atmospheric
conditions as signs of providential
saw far away on the
horizon what appeared to be black
cloud. AS it grew in size, all stood
it intently, until, amid the
shouts and hallelujahs of the faithful,
thousands of quail, borne on the wind
and dashed with violence against the
covered wagons, fell exhausted or dead to
the ground. The air was black with
them for few minutes, and so terrifv-
ing was the experience that men and
women tainted or went wild with ioy.
q Of fha 81 Z
escaped the wagons disappeared, and the
men and women who retained their
presence of mind began gathering the
birds which had come to them so strange
ly. While they were engaged in this
work and were rejoicing over their good
ortune it grew suddenly dark, and
before the last bird had been picked up
-ain began to fall in copious showers
The stock was greatly refreshed, and
much water was caught in utensils which
strange events had profound effect upon
strengthening the faith OF the
vavering and imbuing all with the con-
yiction that they were indeed the chosen
If the Lord. After a day OF thanksgiv-
ng the caravan moved on, and in short !
ime it came to fertile valleys and run
mig WdICi VIC ltSG VI Tic DIuS uOl De
ng consumed until other game was found {
n plenty.
Now, since L have read of the quail
torms' that they have in Nevada, have
,ome to the conclusion that this was one
# them, and that the only remarkable
hing about the matter was that it should
lave occurred just as it did Of course, {
0 the Brighamites it was a miracle.
they had never had such an exper-
ence before, and 1 don't know as
'ou can wonder much at their belief
oncerning it, but just such things are
here in the west almost every
ear. The quail lose their way or they
re driven by storms in directions con-
rary to those which they instinctively
eek, and when exhausted, or if they =
ONE in contact with any obstruction .
hey fall to the ground. Many of them {
re dead, but if alive they may be easily Z
aught. Quail is plenty this year, and Il
GU will hear of it raining BIRDS before
1ng. "-NelU York Sum-